Frozen Without Your Touch
by VividInk
Summary: Post AC. They had hugged many times but she still remained frozen for she never truly felt his touch. He said he never ungloved his hands for anything or anyone but that was a lie, he did so for the Cetra... CloTi oneshot.


Title: Frozen Without Your Touch

_**A/N: I just happened to come up with this little oneshot while thinking about winter gloves when I woke up this morning… hope you enjoy it!**_

_**Disclaimer: Why do ppl even bother putting these here… of course I don't own FF VII: AC or I would have made this story a fanfiction! Kidding!**_

Tifa's fingers stung slightly under the icy cold tap water of the washing basin as she scrubbed endlessly at the stubborn stains on the frying pan. The battle was over, Sephiroth had been defeated and Yuffie, Barret, Cid, Shera and Vincent had all come to settle down as a team in Seventh Heaven.

Everyone was happy and contented, having fun with one another with each passing day. Even Cloud seemed a lot happier than before the battle.

Tifa remembered how he often left Seventh Heaven for days in a row without returning, and the excuse Cloud gave was he was looking for Aerith. The brunette knew it was ridiculous to go looking for someone who had already passed on, but she knew Cloud had some unresolved issues and he somehow could sense Aerith's presence, especially in her chapel.

The hazel-eyed barmaid respected Cloud's wishes and let him go; however, she did so at the expense of her own happiness. Each time the blonde warrior left, he left Tifa empty and broken-hearted, but he was blind to it all.

Thankfully, things had taken a big turn now. Cloud had somehow become more open now, smiling at them all and occassionally even laughing. However, Tifa could somehow still sense that he was still holding on to the memory of Aerith.

Aerith was a beautiful Cetra follower girl, the last of her kind and she knew nothing of hate and forgave everyone. With her beauty and kind-hearted soul, it wasn't surprising that Cloud developed romantic feelings for her.

When disaster struck one day and Aerith was murdered by Sephiroth before Cloud's eyes it scarred the blonde warrior for life. Since then, he blamed himself endlessly for her death and started going on little trips looking for her.

Tifa was slammed back into reality when she felt a lone tear trickled down her cheek. Tifa gasped softly before wiping it away with the back of her hand. Finishing with the frying pan she wiped it dry and tucked it away in the cupboard below the sink.

For some reason, the thought of Cloud and Aerith brought tears to her eyes and the harder she tried to restrain them, the more they threatened to spill. Finally, the hazel-eyed girl succumbed to them, letting the pearly drops run in streams down her cheeks.

What was there to hide from? Vincent, Yuffie, Barret and Cid were probably upstairs playing poker and Shera was playing with Denzel and Marlene. As for Cloud, he didn't know. Maybe he was in his bedroom working out a few calculations or maybe he was thinking of Aerith again.

The brunette stood up to full height and jumped when she came face to face with the handsome face and mako blue eyes of the blonde warrior.

"Goodness Cloud, you startled me." Said Tifa, heaving a sigh of relief and hoping that Cloud wouldn't notice the blotchy tear stains on her cheeks and eyes.

Cloud had the sharp eyesight of a cat and he was quick to notice a change in Tifa's facial expression. The blonde shyly stepped forward to her, looking the brunette straight in the eye.

Tifa just froze where she was. She might as well enjoy the moment. After all it wasn't every day that she got _this_ close to him.

"Tifa, what's wrong? You've been crying," said Cloud quietly, scanning the barmaid's face as her face contorted slightly before relaxing as her gaze fell to her feet.

"It's nothing," mumbled Tifa, attempting to push past him and head upstairs, but was stopped when she was pulled into a tight embrace by the very person she had loved all her life.

"Don't lie. I know something's ailing you." Cloud whispered softly, cuddling her gently as her chin rested perfectly on his strong shoulder.

Tifa just took in a staggering breath, ecstatic that he was hugging her. It wasn't the first time they had embraced, but it was the first time Cloud had initiated it. Usually it was Tifa who hugged him first before he returned the hug.

The brunette closed her eyes relaxing, she could hear the rhythmic beating of his heart, and she inhaled his clean alluring scent and felt the warmth of his body against hers. Anyone would say there was nothing more she could ask for, but that was wrong.

Tifa had always longed to feel his touch, the feel of his hand upon her skin. Nevertheless, his hands remained gloved all the time. The brunette had ever heard Cloud telling Vincent that he rarely ever took them off and would never do so for anything or anyone, but that was a lie.

Back when Aerith was still alive, Tifa remembered watching them from a distance as they hugged and spoke softly. Cloud's hands were free of gloves and were as naked as a baby without clothes.

Tifa struggled to hold back tears as she shifted slightly in Cloud's arms. Guess he really did love her deeply then. He probably had been hopelessly blind to her feelings for him and he probably still was.

All she wanted was for him to return her love and start living in the present and not the past. She wanted him to be happy not depressed and miserable. Right then, she was grateful and happy that he was hugging her, but she could feel the cold leather of his gloves on her arms and it made her long for his touch even more.

Tifa took in a deep breath and boldly asked, "Can you take off your g-gloves?"

The brunette held her breath, waiting for an answer. The mere sentence had been harder to say than she had expected it to be and she had mustered all her courage and swallowed all her pride just to push those six words out.

Tifa felt Cloud pull away and she had expected him to do so. His mako eyes stared at her intensely for a moment, as though inspecting every part of her facial expression before he replied, "Sorry, no. I don't take them off for anything or _anyone_,"

Tifa felt a surge of hurt and anger flow through her blood as his words hit her. She felt like yelling at him telling him that he was lying, but she restrained herself.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she watched Cloud turn his back on her and start to walk away. The brunette's lower lips trembled. Why couldn't he see that she loved him so deeply she'd die for him if the situation called for it! Why was he so blind!

Tifa had often dreamed while she slept of feeling the sensation of his skin on hers, and too feel his bare hands holding her as they embraced, but the time never came and it didn't seem to want to happen either, but until it did happen, nothing would change the fact that Tifa was frozen without his touch.

Tifa's gaze fell to the floor as tears came surging out before she gently whispered silently, "But you did so for _Aerith_,"

The brunette slowly turned and started walking up the staircase, tears streaming down her face as she climbed up slowly. Cloud had the ears of a dog and he heard every single word Tifa had said and he had possibly heard the teardrops of hers that hit the wooden floor as she turned and left.

Tifa returned to her bedroom and quietly shut the door before throwing herself onto the bed and burying her face into her pillow and letting her tears flow freely. Her hands clenched tightly onto her bed sheets as she thought of the blonde warrior.

There was only one in his heart and it was that of a memory. Tifa felt pang after pang of hurt sear through her chest as she thought of a nightmare that she had been having ever since she had realised on one fateful day that Cloud had never loved her and probably never would.

It was a nightmare that remained fresh in her mind day after day. Marlene had gone to live with Barret, Denzel found his biological parents and had left with them, Yuffie had left to be with Vincent, Cid had Shera and lived somewhere near Cosmo Canyon with Nanaki and Cloud and Aerith had got married, leaving her alone in Seventh Heaven.

Tifa remembered the first night she had had that nightmare. She had awoken with a start, her hair drenched in a cold sweat with fresh tears seeping from her hazel orbs.

The pain still danced in her heart, the pain and fear of being cast aside, alone, unwanted and unloved by Cloud, in favour of a memory. Whether it would ever happen or not, Tifa was unsure, but it wasn't impossible either.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Cloud sat on the edge of his bed in deep thought. Tifa's words kept ringing in his ears. '_But you did so for Aerith,'_ He could only assume that Tifa had seen him once when he was hugging Aerith, though he had to admit that they didn't just hug once.

Cloud had hugged Aerith countless times and he even came close to kissing her once when his mind told him to stop and pull back. The mako blue-eyed warrior remained in deep thought, thinking away, and a million thoughts running like a movie through his conscience.

The handsome blonde hesitantly removed his leather gloves from his hands and placed them beside him on his bed and just stared at his hands.

Suddenly, he was thrown into a flowery field again. He had been there so many times it was needless for him to wonder where he was or who would be there.

"_Here you are again. I've told you, try forgiving yourself." _Said the familiar floaty voice of Aerith as he found himself standing back to back with her once more.

"I have," replied Cloud, looking down at the beautiful flowers he was surrounded by.

"_Then what are you still holding back for? You know you love Tifa and she truly loves you with all her heart and soul. Do I have to keep unlocking your emotions for you, Cloud?" _asked Aerith, as Cloud bit his lip once more.

"_Go to her Cloud, soothe her aching heart and love her the way you should."_ Said Aerith, before her voice was drowned to silence as Cloud found himself in the bar of Seventh Heaven once more.

_However, everything seemed weirdly quiet and foggy. He walked forward, watching his feet move step by step until he stopped behind the bar counter. His gaze fell upon a pale figure lying on the ground, **Tifa**. _

_Cloud's eyes widened as he crouched down beside her. She was cold as ice and her face was pale as a sheet of clean paper. He took Tifa in his arms as he tried to shake her awake with his gloved hands. _

_To his horror, Cloud realised that wherever he touched her, that part of her body froze and turned to ice. Things worsened as her entire body started going rigid and she froze into a large ice statue before him._

"_Tifa! TIIIIFAAAAA!" yelled Cloud as he fell to his knees by her frozen body._

"TIIIIFAAAA!" screamed Cloud's tossing figure as he twisted around on his bed, his entire face drenched in his sweat. The blonde warrior was awakened by a soft yet firm hand being clamped over his mouth.

"Hush! Hush! I'm here, what's wrong?" asked Tifa, as her face blurred into view as Cloud sat upright in bed looking rather confused.

He had probably fallen asleep and had received a vision from Aerith before having a nightmare about Tifa.

"Nothing," whispered Cloud as he reached for a nearby hand towel and wiped some sweat from his forehead.

"Oh yeah, you wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night screaming my name and that's nothing, riiiiiiight." Said Tifa sarcastically, pursing her lips at Cloud who just registered her words.

Middle of the night? Had he been sleeping that long?

Despite her sarcasm Cloud could still see the evident worry upon her features. Furrowed eyebrows and widened eyes. Tifa seemed to be studying Cloud's expression herself, and it was only when her eyes strayed to his hands that she realised that they were gloveless.

"Why're you staring at me as if I look like a banshee?" asked Tifa, suppressing a giggle as Cloud blinked several times before shaking his head slightly.

"No, it's just that you're so… _beautiful_." Said Cloud as he reached out and stroked her cheek.

Tifa gasped slightly as she watched Cloud, the feel of his warm and soft fingers brushing against her cheek. "You've drunk too much,"

"No, I haven't drunk anything." Replied Cloud firmly, before some enormous wave of emotion overwhelmed him and he pushed a slightly stunned Tifa down onto his bed.

"C-Cloud? Are you a-alright?" stammered Tifa as her eyes met with Cloud's piercing mako blue ones. The brunette could feel his weight on her stomach and she held her breath when she saw both his hands come to her face.

Slowly, he leant down to the side of her face and whispered huskily, "I'm sorry,"

Tifa would've sworn he was drunk if it wasn't for the fact that he showed no symptoms of actually being in a drunken state of mind.

"For what?" replied Tifa, her long slender fingers suddenly reaching up to his cheek, her thumb brushing over his soft rosette lips.

Goodness, what was she doing? Tifa seemed to be in a clear state of mind only she happened to be doing things she'd never done before. Maybe this was what it felt like to be in love, to be seriously in love and everything seemed perfect.

"For not loving you the way I should've," replied Cloud before he bent forward, balancing on his elbows and kissing Tifa passionately.

Tifa was in paradise as she felt Cloud's hands cup her cheeks as they kissed passionately. Cloud's tongue managed to pry Tifa's mouth open and she moaned slightly as their tongues played, exploring each other's mouth.

Tifa felt her cheeks grow hot as she thought of what everything that was happening would lead to if they didn't start setting boundaries. Yet, when one was put in such a tempting and perfect situation, who would stop and start setting boundaries?

After all, Cloud smelled absolutely delicious and his kisses were only getting more aggressive by the second. Men were all the same, everything they did almost always ended up with the one thing they desired most, but what set the men apart was the way they did those things.

Tifa giggled slightly into the kiss as she felt something hard press into her lower abdomen, gosh Cloud was horny. Anyhow, it wouldn't hurt to let him have his way one time, right?

_**A/N: Ok, I know this fic was cheesy and it's probably the worst I've written so far, but I couldn't get it out of my head so I just had to write and post it. Anyway, sorry for errors and pls review and tell me what you think! **_


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